Girl Guides of Canada, a Win-Win for Women

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, Junior League of Edmonton is pleased to welcome Girl Guides of Canada to our blog space to tell our readers about GGC and its enormous benefits for women and girls. Enjoy!

It’s A Win-Win for Women: Advance the Empowerment of Girls AND Advance Your Professional Opportunities

Girl Guides of Canada Offers Meaningful Volunteer Opportunities for Millennial Women Looking to Build Their Resumes While Making a Lasting Impact on the Lives of Girls

April 23-29, 2017 is National Volunteer Week, an annual event recognizing the valuable contribution of volunteers and acknowledging their achievements. Girl Guides of Canada (GGC), one of the largest networks of female volunteers in the country with over 19,000 volunteers, provides young women unique experiences to develop skills and expertise that enhance professional opportunities.

Madeleine Deschenes has been in Guiding for more than 15 years and at 20 is the youngest member on the Girl Guides of Canada Board of Directors. The volunteer-led organization recently launched its national youth council with Madeleine in the position of Chair. In this role she will provide a voice to girl members and be integral to shaping the direction of the organization. Unlike many millennials in Canada who struggle to jump-start their dream career, Madeleine has created an opportunity for herself within the Guiding world.

With the current expectation to have real and relevant work experience prior to entering the workforce, well-educated, young millennials like Madeleine are faced with the dilemma of how to gain experience to document on their resume in a market that doesn’t hire without it. With a drive and passion for contributing to the greater good, millennials are searching for meaningful opportunities that make a difference in the world while benefiting their professional development.

Girl Guides of Canada is helping to bridge this gap by offering valuable and fun volunteer opportunities for young women who want to make a difference while developing essential skills that build their resume.

“My involvement with Girl Guides has provided me with incredible learning experiences that have built my leadership capabilities, teamwork and conflict management skills, and professionalism,” says Madeleine. “Now, I’m sitting on the Board where I can share my ideas and generate real, positive change for girls. There’s nothing more rewarding than witnessing first-hand how your involvement has a profound, positive impact on the lives of young girls, the community, the country and the world.”

Guiding on Your Resume

GGC volunteers contribute to developing confident, resourceful and courageous girls and young women. They not only lead innovative, engaging and educational programming but act as mentors and role models. The supportive and inclusive Guiding environment helps empower young girls to embrace who they are and develop into confident, independent leaders ready to follow their dreams.

For those looking to make a meaningful contribution to society while enhancing their resume, GGC offers volunteer opportunities that are unique and vast, ranging from unit leaders who guide girls through programs on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), financial literacy and self-esteem, to advising on programming and business decisions, administrating provincial councils and even representing the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) at global events such as the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

GGC also helps young women such as Madeleine develop essential transferable skills that build their resume and contribute to their professional development, including teamwork, collaboration, time management, interpersonal skills, budgeting and financial planning, resourcefulness, risk management, conflict resolution, mentorship and so much more. Guiding skills and experiences are ones that employers will recognize and value.

“Volunteers are the backbone of our organization,” says Jill Zelmanovits, CEO, Girl Guides of Canada. “At GGC, we’re committed to supporting our girls and volunteers through all stages of their involvement with the organization. Our volunteer program empowers young women to leverage their expertise and provides them with a platform to put their ideas into action, drive change and grow into successful members of the community with real experience they can add to their resume.”

For more information on volunteer opportunities that advance professional development while making a difference in the lives of girls and young women, visit GirlGuides.ca.

About Girl Guides of Canada

Girl Guides of Canada (GGC) provides a safe environment that invites girls and young women to challenge themselves, to find their voice, meet new friends, have fun and make a difference in the world. Girl Guides of Canada strives to ensure that girls and women from all walks of life, identities and lived experiences feel a sense of belonging and can fully participate. Girl Guides is an organization with more than 105 years of history and a strong and vibrant future.